Understanding Childhood Development Among Teachers

Introduction

A clear understanding of early childhood development is essential for teachers, institutions, and families to ensure the factors that influence childhood development the most and work on them.

The work by Jackson and Needham (2014) explains the impact of the engagement of parents in the education of their young children. The key ideas learned from week seven readings and discussions include: the involvement of parents in the education of their children as partners, the nature and impact of the support offered by the parents and families of the children in the quality of the education, the impact of the involvement of families in childhood education and the overall impact of such collaborations (Jackson & Needham, 2014).

This activity inclines my thoughts in favour of Vygotsky’s Theory that emphasizes the crucial role of social interactions in cognitive development. My ideas have been extended and re-modelled from the assumption that children gain the most from what they learn in school to the reality of their main source of learning being the environment and communities, and their social interactions with the same. My understanding of Jean Piaget’s explanations of development is challenged where I realize that no complete development is comprehensive without the consideration of the social interactions that contribute to such development REF. As a result, I believe there is need for further research for the solid establishment of the impact of social interactions in learning and the extent of improvement in learning that such social interactions provide.

This study and the information gathered from the study impacts on my practice and research that focuses on the most effective and positive strategies required for the healthy upbringing of children. The additional information on the importance of parents in the learning process of their children contributes to my research on how to get through to parents to encourage positive upbringing methods for the health development of their children. I have new effective areas of focus for a successful project.

The experiences of a child in their living, growing, and learning environments determined their early childhood development. According to WHO Commission and the social determinant of health by Human Early Partnership (2010), different situations expose the child to different windows of childhood development.

Discovery: The existing situation consists of evidence of success among organizations that focus on the involvement of families, and other parties through slid collaborative partnerships. The root of the partnerships is the need for the various agencies to come together and share information and ideas that are relevant to their field (Munt, 2003).

Dream: Since most of the collaborative networks are not solid, there are efforts to develop solid relationships through negotiation and more formal commitment policies, and the development of new skills.

Design: The envisioned design is that which involves networking through negotiations, openness to contributions, and support of new ideas. They also include cooperation through the matching up of needs to eliminate duplication. There is also coordination, coalition, and multi-sector collaboration using a shared vision.

Delivery: The achievements and sustainability efforts constitute the deliverables.

The group work and collaborations in research have taught me how to work together towards relevant conclusions. I shall benefit from what I have learned as an educational leader someday where major decisions need discussions with various parties for the arrival to the most relevant conclusions. I have also come to understand the importance of collective group research and its impact in strengthening case studies during research. When the various ideas and research items from various members of the group are put together, the different points of views are married to make s strong and relevant conclusion.

Taking what I have learned during the semester, I shall specifically focus on childhood education as a part of my career. I shall also emphasize on special consideration to childhood education during my practice. In addition to that, I shall emphasize on the importance of comprehensive discussions prior to making major decisions because of the objectivity and diversity of perspectives found in group opinions, points of views, research, and propositions during discussions.

Building resilience of the child during their early years is essential for their future development which consists of challenges, disappointments and rewards. This reading and discussion looks into the provision of a positive learning environment to enhance resilience, the impact of classroom practice and relationships in modelling the behaviour and language of the children, teaching social skills and self-regulation, the provision of structures and choices, and impartation of play skills among the children. It also consists of parent-school collaborations and awareness of the social learning environment of the children (Garvis & Pendergast, 2017).

The research work gets me thinking about the importance of structuring the education of children through monitored play and social interactions for the identifications of the strengths or weaknesses of the child. The information gathered is that the teachers use for the improvement of the system through special attention and interactions with the different children to build their resilience. I also come to realize the importance and impact of resilience impartation during childhood. The involvement of parents also gives an accurate analysis of the needs of the children in the building of their resilience.

This module impacts my approach and attitude towards childhood learning in terms of the best approach to use. I am inclined towards the Reggio Emilia approach, an approach I came across during me research. The approach takes into consideration the importance of child-centred learning approaches and the involvement of families in the learning process. I now consider children as small vessels with numerous options which they can choose to exploit that various opportunities and possibilities throughout their lifetime (Moore, 2011; Lai, 2009).

The key ideas gathered from this reading and discussions include the nature and impact of engagement of school curriculums with the parents, the resultant partnerships with the parents, the empowerment of such parents, and the importance and impact of the support of senior levels of the government. Only through a collaborative effort with the community and the government can the successful achievement of community-based education be a success.

The need for the integration comes from the changing demographics in how Australian children are raised. The result is a negative outcome in the social and development and outcomes.  The environments that influence childhood development the most include the relational community, civil society, and ECD services and programs. The environments of influence cut across the personal space of the child, then the family, the residential area, the region, the nation, and the global environment. The economic and policy characteristics of the various spheres affect the way that the environments shape childhood behaviours and personalities (Human Early Learning Partnership, 2010). The child gets their identity from the community identity which encultures them with the processes through the programs and services provided by the communities.

As a teacher, the information gained from learning childhood development including the understanding that learning during childhood happens in all childhood activities is essential for the application of the most suitable teaching approaches. The proper investment in the early development of children helps in securing a successful and sustainable economic environment in the future. According to research, the learning space, guidance during interactions with the environment and other people, and the other children are essential in the success of the outcome of their learning process.  There is also the alteration on my perspective of the cultural and educational backgrounds in shaping the mindsets of children which in turn affects their reception to change, abilities, and willingness to take risks.

Conclusion

The child gets their identity from the community identity which encultures them with the processes through the programs and services provided by the communities. There are also myths that come with communities in which children grow and shape their mindsets. One such myth is the belief that boys are inherently good at mathematics. There is even follow-up evidence that shows that boys have been performing better at mathematics than girls over the last 100 years. The environments that influence childhood development the most include the relational community, civil society, and ECD services and programs and must be considered for the best education and provision of opportunities for the children.

References

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Garvis, S., & Pendergast, D. (2017). Health and Wellbeing in Childhood. New York: Cambridge University Press.

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Hochanadel, A., & Finamore, D. (2015). Fixed And Growth Mindset In Education And How Grit Helps Students Persist In The Face Of Adversity. Journal of International Education Research11.1, 11(1), 48-50.

Human Early Learning Partnership. (2010, 1 12). What influences Early Child Development? Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbcO4UmJbTs

Jackson, D., & Needham, M. (2014). Engaging with Parents in Early Years Settings. Sydney: Sage.

Lai, Y. (2009). Reconsidering the education of gifted young children with the Reggio Emilia approach. Exceptionality education international, 19(3), 96-110.

Moore, L. (2011). Learning and teaching in the early childhood years. Educating Young Children , 17(1), 37-41.

Munt, R. (2003). Building Collaboration. Stronger Families Learning Exchange Bulletin, 6-8. Retrieved from WayBack Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20150406035323/https://www.aifs.gov.au/sf/pubs/bull3/rm.html

The New York State Education Department. (2006). New York State Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core. New York: The New York State Education Department.

Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets That Promote Resilience: When Students Believe That Personal Characteristics Can Be Developed. EducationalPsychologist, 302–314.